University of Virginia Library

6 letter
Miss Amanda C. Armentrout
Greenville
Augusta County
Virginia

I recieved your kind and affectionate letter by Mr Britton I was happy indeed to hear from you and to hear you ware well with all the rest of your brothers and sisters. My health is very good and hope when theese uninterresting lines come to hand you may be enjoying the same with all the pleasure this poor world can afford. I have the blues this morning and you must not exspect as long a letter as usual. Brother John & Tom Graham got to disputing about a very trifling matter. John was left out of his mess to get breakfast, and it not being ready when we came of ove drill Graham commenced cursing John when he had been swearing as John thought long enought he told him to stop. Graham yanked up a stik and let him have it over the face, at that moment the Capt intofeared & sent Graham to the Guard house. Capt told John when ever he got a chance to give him a good whipping I am sorry the fus occured but it can not be helped know. The Staunton band has came down to blay for the regament.

We ware marched ut yesterday morning to be reviewed by the prince Napolion. Thare was tow brigades making ten or twelve regaments all drawed up in line of Battle it was a magnifisent view. The Prince just passed along the road. I should have liked to have seen him; Cousin Joseph R Brand was over the other day. I think he wares the same old face he use to ware he seems to be a very kind & tender hearted young man he seems to be acquainted with young men all over the State his school mates at Colligge. We took dinner with one of his former Teachers he had a very nice diner such as Chicken pork and good light bread & blackbury gam wich we used instead of putter. I renewed Jo's acquaintance with J.P.L. Jo. said he did'nt know any in our Co. put your Brother, Charles & my self, he said he never would have none me if I had'ent laughted when I seen him. Jo. was at fairfax Court house when the Yankees came on them & they had to retreat back to Bulls run. Another of our old school mates was to see us, Wm. Weeb. You would not know him for he has such a large beard & mustache, he belongs to the Montosella Guards, has a very nice uniform. Weeb & Cousin Jo. both belong to brigadeer General Cox'es brigade. I have seen both my oncles since the Grate Battle of bulls run. I shall know give you a short account of the Battle.

We recieved orders about the dawn of day to march down to the run & to charge on a battery near our breastworks; we had been thare an hour and a half when we recieved orders to, Change our position we marched about three miles north our enimies had been cannonading us for sometime at different points

at eight oclock the attack became general. I can not disscribe the fireing of small arms at nine oclock our brigade was ordered to the seen of slaughter on our way we met the Staunton Artillery the men said thay ware almost out of amunition and ware nearly surrounded.

We advanced in quick time to surport the Washington Artillery on the right wich don exilent sevice in the engagement. We threw down a fence and advanced a fiew paces and was ordered to lay down and incessant fire was kept up by our enimies for about ten or fifteen minutes. I believe if we had have raised up at one time we would have all been wounded or killed the balls seemed to range about two feet above the ground. The regament in advance of us fell back in confusion but on bassing our line immediately formed again. We then ware

ordered to advance in quick time to the old home we then laid down waiting orders to fire we begged our officers to let us fire at a regament on our right but they said they ware our friends & would not let us fire on them. We then commenced fireing at three or four Reg. in front of us I gave them three rounds & then we fell back some twenty or thirty yards & met another Reg. advancing we went up with them some of our boys went on & never stoped at all & some had left before we went up to the house I hollowed at Sam two or three times put he would not listen to me. When we went up the seckond time that Reg. on our right fired on us put with little effect we returned thare fire throwing them in to confusion for a little while we all got behind the house & corn crip fences & evry thing that would shield us from thare Manie balls I got behind the crip and fired five times at them I looked round & couldent see any of our Reg. They had falen back to the woods I had got mixed with a South Carlino Reg. & they ware now falling back I turned round and jumped over a dead man & commenced retreting to the woods. I couldent find my one Reg. or at least I did not hunt long for I came upon the fourth Alabama Reg. and laid down besides my Oncle Wm Mosley one of the men was shot on the oposite side of Oncle Wm. from me the men seemed grately excited the most of thare field officers was killed in the Battle Oncle Wm was not tuched Oncle John was not thare he was sick in Winchester I reckon you was at the mountain with that large crowd of Mr Brittons he said he kissed upwards of twenty ladies & said he could have kissed them all put he told them they ware too willing & he would not kiss any more. I should like very much to come home for a fiew days put it is imposible at presant I must bring this scrall to a close asking an interrest in your prayers excuse all misstakes & bad writing.